Always and Forever
by FarmFreak
Summary: The wizard can see everything that lies ahead, but can he handle it all? When the first person in decades he's gotten close to is thrown into a world of turmoil what will he do? ChasexHikarixWizard Rating might increase, maybe, but I don't really know.
1. Chapter 1

[Authors Note]: A Harvest Moon Tragedy/Romance/Drama fan fiction involving Wizard(Gale) and Hikari. I'm sort of writing this as I go along, but I do have a basic plot in mind. Please enjoy.

Always and Forever

I've grown used to it over the years. The gazes that look right through me, words spoken, but never in my direction. I've been nearly invisible, people pay me no mind. They sit and chatter with their friends, don't even watch as I walk by. I am forgotten in this world. What good is eternal life when you are transparent. I'm like the grass and trees, the water and air. People occasionally think of me, but then I'm gone from their minds. A fleeting thought brushed aside by the important things in their everyday lives. I'm like the shadow that follows you as the day becomes cloudy, vanishing slowly- to remain unseen until someone decides to take notice in it's disappearance. Always in the background, never once have I been center stage.

I sat and contemplated my existence a while longer as I shined my crystal ball. I got up and slowly made my way over to my telescope. Sliding onto the stool I had perched beneath it I stared into the night sky. The stars always made me feel even more inferior than I already felt. My vision slowly misted over as hot wet tears began to well up. They soon spilled over, as they often did when I thought of how utterly alone in the world I was. I had no friends, the ones that I had long ago had since passed. I've outlived them by many a decade. The same went for my family. I watched everyone around me age, what seemed rather quickly. I had lost count of how long I'd been on this earth, a thousand years perhaps, give or take a few hundred. I swiveled the telescope a bit and focused it on the moon. It was big and almost gold in color, a harvest moon no doubt. I bet the new farm girl appreciated this moon. More light to help harvest crops by. Although, with that boyfriend of hers I'm sure all of the work was done before evening. What was I thinking, I shouldn't even think of others private lives, after all, I only know about the villagers because of my fortune telling, even then only a handful of them pay me a visit. The farm girl on the other hand was one that had taken to visiting quite often.

_Knock. Knock. Knock. Click._

I turned to face my door as a brown haired girl stepped over the threshold into my home. She made herself comfortable in one my wooden chairs surrounding my fortunetelling table.

"Wizard," Hikari called, her voice smooth as wet silk.

"Ah," I gathered my composure, rubbing the sleeve of my tunic over my face to mask the dried up streams of tears. "...Coming." I stood up and hurried over to the table that Hikari was sitting at.

"What would you like today?" I asked, my voice monotone. I stared at Hikari, hoping her golden brown eyes might hold the secret to unbinding me from my eternal suffering, they did not.

"Could you, um," She paused and played with the fabric of her shirt. "Tell me my love fortune?" She gave me a shy smile. I sighed, placed my hand on the crystal ball ahead of me, and let my thoughts go. They drifted for quite some time until they came to rest upon a scene with the farm girl in them. She was sitting in the midst of a field weeping in a white bridal gown. rapping herself over a low-set gravestone she cried out, her small body writhing with grief. My eyes snapped open. A wide goofy smile was plastered on her face.

"So, is it any good?" Her smile widened, expressing her desire for the fortune of a life time. I couldn't tell her the truth of what I saw. How could I break the heart of someone so innocent, someone who knew I existed.

"I see great happiness for you and the man that you love." Her face beamed with joy as told her the news. "Marriage doesn't seem too far off for you."

"Oh! I.., really?!" She seemed simply ecstatic. How could I tell her that soon after great disaster would befall the two of them. How could I tell her that Chase would die soon after their wedding? She got up, hugged me tightly and then quickly ran out of my home before I could find a way to tell her the rest of the fortune.


	2. Chapter 2

[Author's Note]: Well, take two on this chapter. I'm awkwardly trying to get the story to go in the direction that I want it to head in. Please read and if possible review. :)

[Louis]: Far does not own any of the characters to harvest moon, to her utter disappointment they belong to Natsumie… but maybe one day *fleeting smile*

Always and Forever

Chapter 2

I watched as she danced around in the falling snow, her face beaming with pure joy. I felt a slight tension pull up at the corners of my lips, the foreign yet faintly familiar sensation sent chills down my spine. Why was I watching this girl? Was it because of the way she acknowledged my presence? Perhaps that was it. That couldn't be the only reason though, could it? There had to be more to what I was feeling, some piece of my puzzle that I was missing that prevented me from seeing the completed picture.

I glanced outside of my window again only to see the strawberry blond boy that she was so fond of sneak up from behind her. Her laughter jingled as he encircled her in his arms. I felt another familiar yet forgotten emotion rise up within myself. I soon wished that I was the one whispering sweet words against her neck, that it was me, who held her in my arms, my body pressed firmly against hers. I mentally reprimanded myself for having such thoughts. Who was I to covet another man's woman? Throughout my many years of life I could have pursued love, but I missed my chance a hundred times over. I scoffed at my uneasiness of seeing the two of them together but soon gave in to my sinful musings. I placed the pads of my fingers against my lips as I saw their own lips touch. If only they knew that I watched them from the confines of my home, if only they knew that another person was living in what they thought was a moment for just the two of them. If she knew she would surely turn red in anger, would defiantly never be able to look at me in the same way that she had before.

I couldn't let her know, I couldn't have the only person who knew who I was refuse to acknowledge me. I drew the curtains together, shutting out both the light of the morning and their blissful play date from view. White hot tears fell down my cheeks. After years of being alive the shame of crying disappeared, allowed me to dwell in the pain and ache without berating myself about it afterward. I slowly let my mind wander about the contours of her body. I contemplated the heat that radiated from her silk smooth skin. Want and need welled up inside of me until finally I snapped my eyes open ending my thoughts. I was alone as always, but this time I wasn't content. Something had changed since I met that farmer girl, something that I didn't want to lose.

Then I remembered the fortune. She could be mine, the strawberry blond was soon to be out of the picture and she would need someone to comfort her, someone to hold her, and someone to make the pain disappear. That person could be me. I shook my head in disapproval of my contemplating, but gave into the wickedness that ensnared my mind. She would be mine. I would no longer watch from the darkness of my observatory as the two of them mingled outside. I stood and strode over to the wooden door that separated me from the purity of winter. I jiggled the deadbolt and slowly opened the door, raising a hand to shield my eyes from the unfamiliar harsh light of the morning sun. I felt everyone's eyes upon me, the weight of their gazes almost too much for me to bear.

Slowly, I made my way through the town towards the direction of where the Harvest Goddess resided. She would know what to do, after all her existence had been far longer than my own, her experiences broader. As I came to her little nook by the cliff I exhaled the breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I looked at her face, a mixture of surprise and happiness played amongst her beautifully defined features.

"Welcome, Wizard." Her voice rang pleasantly in my ears and before I realized it I was smiling. "May I ask you what brings you here to my pond?" She smiled, and I was reminded of someone in the past who used to smile at me like that, a smile so full of love and hope. I toyed with the end of my braid, trying to piece together what I wanted to say, what I wanted to ask.

"Harvest Goddess," I began, my voice hoarse from non-use. She looked into my eyes and I couldn't help but avert them from her penetrating gaze.

"Wizard, if you are here to inquire about the farmer girl Hikari then do so, I will not condemn you for it." And I believed her, for the longest time she had been my only friend, if you could even call the mother of your existence a friend. I then told her of everything I had been feeling, every emotion that had flowed through me and then I confessed the sinful thoughts that vexed me. She listened full of intent, her smile never faded, allowing me to take comfort in knowing that she truly wasn't angry. She wasn't angry that the man she had gifted with an unusually long existence doubted himself and thought vengeful human thoughts. When I finished all was silent for a while, the quiet unsettled me but the goddess ahead of me soon interjected with her tinkling laughter.

"Wizard, for all of the worldly knowledge you possess of it pains me to know you lack the simplest knowledge of your emotional wellbeing." She laughed again and I felt heat rise to my face.

"So what should I…. I mean the girl…. Hikari," I stuttered in embarrassment. The Harvest Goddess smiled and looked at me.

"You know what to do." She laughed and turned around, her form slowly disappearing.

"And if you don't know what to do, Wizard, then you'll have to figure it out. I know you like puzzles."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the late update! School has been crazy, I've had exams and papers due almost everyday, but it's all finished now, and graduation is just around the corner. With summer here I can finally write whenever I get the urge. :)

Thank you to my reviewers! I love to know what parts of the story people like, and what parts I could improve on.

**Winter Oak:** Thank you for your review, I'm glad you like Wizard's character. I've always thought of him as a character who is quite kind and gentle, but also very, very human despite his immortality.

**Miyiku:** Thank you for your review, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Forever and Always**

**Chapter 3**

The brunette farm girl sat, strumming her fingers against the wood of her kitchen table. Her eyes shone in the faint light that filtered through the glass of her windows as she stared at a pair of birds roosting on the windowsill outside.

"Hikari! We need to get to work, the cows won't milk themselves..." a little orange clad sprite wailed, flailing his arms around in the stuffy air of the small one-roomed farm house.

"I know, Finn." Hikari, begrudgingly, placed her hands on her thighs to help her stand and felt her muscles protest to her movements. She grimaced, but continued towards the fridge to grab a glass of milk and a small stack of leftover pancakes. She ate quickly, leaning against the counter, and finished her meal with a hearty swig of milk. She tossed the dishes into the sink, she would clean them later.

As soon as she walked outside she took a deep breath of the hot, humid summertime air. She sighed as she basked in the sunlight, her coconut-brown orbs taking in the blue skies as she twirled around in a circle.

She heard a chuckle from behind her, and came face to face with a quite familiar peachy-blond haired man. She smiled as he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"You seem rather chipper for someone who woke up late." He gave her a peck on the cheek after he spoke.

"Mmhmm," she wiggled out of his grasp and headed towards the barn.

"I already took care of that." Chase's grin widened as the farm girl spun around in surprise. He watched as she walked towards her field. "That's done as well." He chuckled under his breath as he watched her stomp over towards the chicken coop.

"I'm guessing you already took care of the poultry, then?" She fumed, rather comically in Chases opinion.

"Yep." He watched as a frown marked her face. "I thought you would be happy about it." Chase rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh! I am, it's just... I'm not used to not having any work to do." The farmer sighed as she glanced at her feet, ashamed someone besides her had finished her daily chores.

Chase grinned as he walked over and took her hand. "You just looked so tired lately." He remarked, placing a hand on her cheek. "I thought I would do something to help you rest." He bent down and kissed her, rather gently, on the lips. He inhaled, she smelled of hay, coffee, and grass, just as she always had.

"I haven't been tired!" Hikari retaliated, breaking from his show of affection.

Chase rolled his eyes. "Says a girl who fell asleep while we had dinner at the inn."

Hikari turned her face away from him, trying to hide the tinge of pink that was now dusting her tanned face. "I didn't fall asleep...I-I was just resting my eyes."

He chuckled at her attempt to regain her pride.

"You can't hide anything from your husband." He smiled and lead her towards the watermill near Flute Fields.

"I sometimes wish I could." She smiled up at him and saw the fake pained expression he put up.

"Oh, Hikari, how mean you are to me." He placed a hand over his heart. She playfully punched him in the shoulder.

. . .

She sat, swinging her legs as she sat on the wooden planks by the watermill's wheel.

"We haven't had time to just hang out like this in a while." Hikari leaned against Chase's shoulder.

"Mm," He continued to play with the short locks of her chestnut-brown hair. "It's because you're always so busy."

She glanced up at him and studied his face as he worked on braiding a small section of her hair. "You're going to have to take that up with the animals." She turned back to stare at the water, and watched as a small fish tried to swim against the strong current of the river below.

"I'll be sure to ask the cows for some of your time than." He finished braiding the section of hair he had been working on and moved to the next after securing it with a rubber band.

"I'm not so sure they'd allow that." Another frown flickered across her face as she felt a tug on her hair.

"Sorry." He murmured in apology as he tried to comb a knot out of her hair with his fingers. He sighed and paused in his actions. "I miss you." He stared at the rocky incline across the river from them, taking a sudden interest in it.

Hikari turned her head and looked at his face, noticing the tinge of red that now graced his cheeks. She searched her mind for a response, not able to conger up a verbal reply. Slowly she found herself hugging his middle.

He gripped her tightly to himself and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You work all morning on your farm, and by the time you're finished your rounds I'm off to work all night at the bar."

She squeezed him tighter, she had noticed their lack of communication over the past few weeks. It was completely unintentional, but it still hurt her, and apparently him as well.

"I just thought that today... we could..." his voice drifted off as he pulled her closer to himself. "I have the day off today."

She looked at his face and caught his lips. "Well, seeing as how all of the chores are finished, I guess we could just spend today together."

"Great." He broke out into a huge grin, the edges of his eyes crinkling.

"Yea, great." They sat there a few moments longer as Chase finished his braiding of her hair.

"I love you." Her heart skipped a beat at his words. He placed a few small white flowers between the creases of her newly braided hair.

"I love you too."

Hikari felt the warm rays of the sun touch her face and rouse her from her slumber. She squeezed her eyes together, trying to will herself back to sleep.

"'Morning." She rolled over at the sound of his voice, pulling the thin white sheet over her face. He sighed. "That's no way to greet the day." He poked, what he assumed to be her side, through the sheet. She squirmed from the contact, but didn't get up. "If you don't get up I just might have to take serious action." He saw her tense under the thin white sheet, but she still made no move of getting up.

"You asked for it!" His hands descended upon her, tickling her sides through the sheet. He heard her laugh tingle throughout the small house, but didn't cease his torture.

"N-no... more...p-p-please!" She screeched between giggles, she flung the sheet off from over her head, revealing her amused yet pained expression. Tears of laughter escaped her eyes as she trashed under his touch.

He flinched suddenly, and stopped his movements. He fell forward and pinned her down.

"Ha ha Chase, very funny." She tried to shove him off but was unsuccessful.

"Come on get up." She nudged him off of her. She looked at him closely, his face was twisted in pain. He clutched at his chest, his breathing was quick, short, and labored. Her eyes widened win fear.

"Chase!" She knelt by him on the bed, griping his face between her hands.

He opened his eyes slightly. She caught a sob before it eased its way out of her.

She hopped off of the bed, quickly pulled on some clothes, and ran out of the house. Her steel-toed boots struck the cobblestone of the road loudly as she scrambled hastily towards Harmonica Town. She came to a standstill in front of Choral Clinic. They wouldn't be open for another hour, but it didn't matter.

_Bang, bang, bang!_

She hammered her fist against the wooden door. Hoping Jin or Irene would either be awake, or be woken up by her insistent boisterous knocking.

* * *

Please review, constructive criticism is always welcome, I am always looking to improve my writing.


	4. Chapter 4

Alright, I hope you enjoy this chapter... things are moving a bit slowly but they'll pick up soon enough... I think. I'm sort of writing this on whim, I do have a basic plot. It's ChasexHikari eventual WizardxHikari. The WizardxHikari won't really kick in for a LONG while though.

Once again thank you WinterOak for your review, I'm glad you like it. You're right to feel sad for Chase, I can't help but feel bad for him myself, he is one of my favorite characters.

Anyways, please enjoy! Reviews are welcome.

[Louis]: FarmFreak does not own Harvest Moon or any of the related characters.

* * *

**Always and Forever **

**Chapter 4**

"Keep an eye on him," Jin frowned before reaching for his clipboard on the table next to the bed.

"O-of course!" Hikari forced out between her quivering lips. "Will... He'll be okay, right?" She snuck a glance at her husband, who was resting on the bed besides her.

"Mmm..." Jin jiggled his glasses as he studied his clipboard. "I'm sure he'll be fine, but I do want to have a few tests run, and I don't have all the necessary equipment here."

Hikari's frown deepened at the doctors words. "So, we'll have to travel to the mainland?"

"Unfortunately. If I had the equipment here I could run them myself, but since I don't, I'm afraid that's what will have to be done." Jin began to pack up his supplies in the black leather suitcase he had brought with him.

She nodded in understanding as she placed a hand on Chase's chest. She felt his heartbeat, it's steady rhythmic beating calming her by the second, before she noticed something abnormal about it's pulsating. She knitted her eyebrows together in worry before turning to look at the doctor, who was now making his way over to the door.

"I'd say the sooner you can make your way to shore, the better." With that Jin was gone, the door closing silently behind him.

The sheets rustled as Chase rolled over to face his wife, he smiled and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry."

She searched his face for an answer to his apology, but didn't find one. "You don't need to apologize." Her pink lips formed a small smile as she snuck into bed next to him, she nestled closser to his body and rested her head against his chest.

_Bathump... bathump... bathump..._

She gripped the fabric of his white button up shirt and continued to listen to his heart.

"No..." He stroked her chestnut hair with his free hand while his other hand played with her fingers. "I don't like it when you worry."

_Bathump... bathump... bathump..._

"I can't help but worry about you though." She laced his fingers together with his. "I love you too much _not_ to worry."

_Bathump... shwwwsh... bathump_

She heard it, the strange noise that she was pretty sure she had felt before...

He squeezed her hand and she looked up at him, her head still resting on his chest. "I'll be fine." He flashed her a wide smile, and she couldn't help but smile back up at him. "You know me, I'm too much of an ass to be sick." He ran his thumb up and down over the skin of her hand before giving it another gentle squeeze.

"Haha," Hikari laughed half heartedly as she squeezed his hand in response. "I guess you're right, your far too stubborn."

He stuck his tongue out at her before laughing and dragging her up so she was face to face with him. He captured her lips and after a moment, broke free from it. Resting his forehead against hers he smiled and whispered to her. "I love you, Hikari."

Hikari smiled back at him. "I love you too, Chase."

Once she was sure Chase had fallen asleep, she carefully squirmed out from between his arms. After placing a soft kiss on his cheek, she moved towards the closet to grab their suitcases. Quietly, as to not wake her husband, she unzipped the first suitcase and moved over to their dresser. She opened it and rummaged around, looking for suitable clothing to wear on their trip that she had yet to inform Chase about. She found a few of his favorite button down shirts and a couple t-shirts, folded them back up, and threw them into his suitcase before traveling down to the next drawer to grab some pants. Once she was finished packing his suit case she moved onto hers.

She couldn't believe what was happening. Chase had been completely fine a week or two ago. She picked up one of her t-shirts, looked it over, and decided that it was far too ratty to wear. She tossed it to the floor. Sure he had always complained about being a little dizzy at times, but she thought that was normal. Everyone got dizzy sometimes, right? Although, he did complain of it an awful lot, that and being a bit short of breath sometimes. She had told him to go talk to Jin about it, but it seemed as if he had disregarded her suggestion.

"Nope." She tossed another ratty shirt to the floor before finding one that was acceptable. She gathered a few more shorts and pants of her own before going into the bathroom and swiping their toothbrushes, razors, shampoo, and conditioner. She walked back into the bedroom and threw the items into their appropriate bags.

Chase's eyes fluttered open and he was greeted by the sight of his wife hurrying about the house. He watched her quickly enter their room, throw something into a suit case, and then quickly leave again and again. He sat up on the bed, ignoring the slight pain in his chest.

"What are you doing?" He asked as Hikari entered the room, her arms full of jackets, shoes, and hair products.

"Packing." She stated obviously as she dropped to the floor and sorted the belongings in her arms.

"Wait... what?" Chase rose from the bed and stood next to her, studying her as she held up and compared a think winter coat with a much thinner fall one.

"Is it cold over there you think?" Hikari shook her head and tossed the thick, marshmallow like coat to the floor. "Nah, probably won't be too cold."

Chase bent down on his knees and grasped Hikari's chin, jerking her face towards his. He studied her brown orbs for a moment. "Why are you packing... Tired of me?" He continued to search her eyes.

She gave him a pained look before answering him. "Jin said we should head to the mainland for some... tests."

There was a loud knocking on their door that caused Hikari to break free of Chase's grasp.

"Coming!" The brunette yelled as she stood up, she smiled and gestured for Chase to wait before leaving the room headed towards the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Wizard standing there.

"H-hello, Wizard." Hikari greeted, as she opened the door wider and stepped to the side to allow Wizard to come inside.

He nodded and walked into her farm house, still not quite understanding why he was there himself.

"Any reason you stopped by?" Hikari glanced towards the door to her bedroom and noticed Chase leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and eyes intent upon the silver haired man.

"I... heard from Jin... you're leaving the town... for a while..." The Wizard studied the brunette ahead of him, trying to make out her emotions towards his being there.

"Oh..." Hikari blushed a little in anger, not expecting Jin to have such loose lips.

"I could... watch the farm for you." Wizard offered, smiling slightly before dropping his gaze to the hardwood floor.

"That would be nice." Hikari's anger at Jin subsided, she hadn't thought about needing to find someone to care for her animals and crops while she was away. She studied her silver haired friend who had found a sudden interest in the wooden boards of her floor.

"Alright... I'll make sure... the animals are happy... while you're gone." Wizard suddenly looked up at Hikari and looked straight into her eyes. "Everything will be fine."

Hikari smiled as she looked into Wizards mismatched irises. "Thank you so much." Her grin widened and she gave Wizard a quick hug.

He froze as she wrapped her arms around him, he caught the gaze of Chase and turned his head quickly. Hikari withdrew from her hug of Wizard and thanked him again as he left.

"Why are we leaving?" Chase inquired, moving over to his wife and wrapping his arms around her tightly from behind.

"I told you, tests." Hikari rose an eyebrow as Chase's grip on her tightened.

"I don't need to be tested. I'm fine." He frowned and placed his chin atop her head.

"We're going." Hikari escaped Chase's hug and turned to look at him.

"No, we're not. There's no reason we need to leave to have _tests_ done." Chase crossed his arms and glared at his wife, who was just about as stubborn as he was.

"We're going, and that's final." Hikari hissed.

"I don't give a damn if it's _final_ or not. I said I'm fine, so I'm fine. I was just tired earlier, that's all. There's no need to go." Chase's face grew red in anger as he thought about leaving to go to the mainland. He had some not so pleasant memories of that place and would rather not go back to remember them.

Hikari balled her hands into fists at her sides before storming over to her husband and putting a finger close to his face, he stared cross-eyed at it until Hikari rose her voice, clearly pissed off with his refusal to acknowledge his little episode from this morning.

"If you don't give a damn about your health, than fine. But so help me goddess if I allow you to continue on without finding out if something is wrong. If anything ever happened to you, I'd..." her shouting stopped momentarily as she dropped her hand to her side and looked away. "I don't know what I would do..." She quietly finished before walking into the bedroom and zipping the suitcases up.

Chase watched as she picked up the suitcases and dropped them by the door. "Fine," he sighed. "We'll go to the mainland." He gripped the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

Hikari smiled at him as she opened the door and slipped on her boots. "Good, that's what I wanted to hear.

Chase gave her a lopsided smile as he slid his sandals on.

The couple slowly walked towards Harmonica Town, headed towards the fishery to buy tickets for the next boat ride to shore.

Wizard watched them as they made their way, rubbing his arms with his hands, trying to forget the feel of her against himself. His face fell as he saw their hands lock with one another. He shook his head, he shouldn't have these thoughts. He closed his eyes and turned his face towards the breeze. Surely autumn would be here soon, judging by the slight cold of it. He sighed as he watched their backs disappear towards the town.


	5. Chapter 5

Wow! I'm so sorry, I hadn't even realized how long it had been since I'd updated... I feel positively horrible now. I'll try to update every 1-2 weeks... I really will. I'm just the type of person who only writes when I get hit with an idea or a sudden bout of inspiration. Well here's chapter five. I hope you enjoy it!

I feel even more horrible at how short and crappy this chapter is... but I felt bad for not updating... so I decided I might as well submit what I had so far. I hope you can forgive me.

If you have the time, please review. They make me smile, even if they're short and sweet. I just like to know people are reading.

**Always and Forever**

**Chapter 5**

Three weeks had crawled by quite uneventfully while Hikari and Chase waited for the appointment with Dr. Jackson to arrive. Hikari had been on edge since the day they arrived in the city and checked into their hotel room.

"Hikari," Chase called as he walked out of the bed room and out into a little living area. The hotel hadn't been cheep, but not many places in the city had any vacancies, so Hikari literally threw money at the hotel manager when he said they had a room available.

Hikari smiled sweetly at her husband from her perch on the couch. Her hands cradled her coffee cup in an attempt to warm her cold digits. "Hey," her eyes flickered to him and then back to the morning paper on her lap. This had been their routine, Chase still wasn't one for early mornings. He walked over to the small kitchen and Hikari started to hear the clanking and clanging of Chase at work. She sighed as she pulled the paper off her lap and looked at the paper work underneath. The doctor had sent her a few forms through the mail to take to a clinic where Chase would get his blood drawn before their appointment. She furrowed her brow at the paper, suddenly wishing she paid more attention during college biology class.

A few minutes ticked by before Chase walked out from the kitchen, two plates in hand. Hikari hurriedly scooped the papers off her lap and stuffed them under the news paper that she had placed on the coffee table earlier.

"It's nothing fancy, but I can assure you it's healthier than room service." Chase handed Hikari the plate full of eggs and fruit slices, a piece of toast peaked out from under the eggs.

"I like your cooking better anyways." They ate in silence, both balancing their plates on one hand as they ate. "Only three more days." Hikari said after cleaning her plate entirely. She placed it atop the news paper and snuggled up next to her husband, pulling her legs up and hugging them to her chest.

"Yep." Chase eyed her momentarily before setting his own plate down. "I wish you wouldn't worry." Chase wrapped his arm around Hikari and leaned his head against hers.

"If I don't worry, then who will?" Hikari grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Besides, I'm sure it's nothing anyways. We'll go to the doctors and he'll tell us," She paused and looked at him. "_Ain't nothin' wrong with this boy. You hicks wasted your money coming to see me._"

Chase rose an eyebrow. "What kind of accent was that supposed to be?" He gave a chuckle before ruffling her hair and standing.

"I don't know." She huffed. "I was trying to lighten the mood."

"Well it certainly did just that." Chase walked off to the bedroom only to return with two light jackets. "Come on, I have a date with a phlebotomist." He tossed the smaller jacket her way, laughing as it covered her head.

. . .

"Stop being such a baby." Hikari let out a sigh before slapping Chase gently on the shoulder.

"Like you'd be any better." He rubbed the spot where her hand had just stung him as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't think I'd whine over a needle." She watched as a person in a white lab coat walked in and sat ahead of chase. Hikari laced her fingers though his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Good afternoon, I'm Sarah." The lady ahead of them spoke, giving a friendly smile. "I'll be doing your blood work today."

Chase nodded before squeezing his wife's hand back and jetting his other arm out towards the lab technician. The woman took a piece of elastic and wrapped it around his arm than she unscrewed a cap off of a bottle of rubbing alcohol before dampening a cotton ball with it. She rubbed the crook of Chase's arm with it before tossing it into the trash behind her.

"I do this all day, I promise it won't hurt a bit." Sarah gave a reassuring smile before pulling a strange contraption off of a small metal tray next to the wall. She grabbed a few glass vials, some with different colored rubber stoppers on their heads, and returned her attention back to chase. After a few moments she had successfully managed to get Chase to allow her to stick him with the weird contraption and was now filling each vial.

"Ugh," Chase groaned as she took one vial off of the needle and stuck another one on. "Going to take all of it?" Sarah only smiled in response before continuing on.

"Oh please, it'll be over soon. Then we can leave." Hikari patted his knee and chattered away with the technician, making small talk.

Hikari thanked the woman as her and Chase walked out of the small clinic. She heard Chase mumble a sarcastic comment under his breath but decided to ignore it.

"I swear, I feel like I'm the man of the relationship half the time." She bumped Chase with her hip, causing him to sway a bit before he playfully glared at her.

"Oh really, you wear the pants then?" He smirked, eliciting a blush from his companion.

"Y-yes! As a matter of fact I do." They continued to walk in the direction of the hotel.


End file.
